Apparatus for collecting atmospheric electricity.



v No. s74,427.- Patented May 2|,19m.

A. PALEncsAn.

APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY.

. (Application filed. July 10, 1900.) (I0 llodaI.) 3 $haets$hoet l.

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No. 674,427. T Patented May '21, 19m.

, A. PALENCSA-R. APPARATUS FOR GOLLEG TI NG ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY.

(Application filed July 10, 1900.) (lo Model.) 3 Sheets'$heet 2.

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No. 674,427. I Patented May 2|, 19m.

,A. PALENGSAB.

APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY.

A umim filed July 10, 1900. (flo llodelh 3 Sheets-sheet 3.

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wmviss a certain new and useful Apparatus for 001- yield can only beutilized by means of acrived or deviated-by means of a lightning- UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDOR PALENosAE, 0 BUDA PEsTH, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING ATMOSPHERIC. ELECTRICITY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,427, dated May1901- Application filed July 10,1900.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDOR PALENosAR, a

subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Buda-Pesth, Austria-Hungary,have in vented lecting 'Atmospherical Electricity, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact specification.

The present invention concerns an apparatus for collecting and drivingor conducting atmospherical electricity which renders it practicable toobtain material quantities of the same in serviceable form.

The experiments made hitherto have been limited to deviating orconducting the electricity by simple lightning-rods without mak' ingallowance for the progress of the theory of atmospherical electricity.It is obvious that only extremely small quantities of electricity can becollected in this manner, and, moreover, it was obtained in a form whichentirely precluded its utilization. It is evident that a source ofelectricity of irregular cumulators and for charging accumulators only acurrent of constant potential can be employed. The potential ofelectricity derod varies within wide limits, and, moreover, it is sohigh that it cannot be used atall for charging accumulators. All thesedrawbacks are remedied by the present invention, by which theatmospheric electricity is obtained in larger quantities with as low andconstant a potential as may be desired.

The idea underlying the invention is based on the modern theory ofatmospheric electricity, according to which it is produced by thecondensation of steam or aqueous vapors, and that the increase ofpotential is effected by the concentration of the small drops of waterinto larger ones, as the proportion of the surface of the drops to thevolume of same is materially reduced thereby. According to this theorythe water-droplets floating in the layers of air are considered asvehicles or carriers of theelectricity, and a rational system of thedeviation of the atmospheric electricity must derive it from thewaterdrops. This is attained by the present invention in the followingmanner: A collecting-body of as large a surface as possible is SerialNo. 23,102. .No model-J provided with sharp needles. This is moved inthe higher layers of air, while being continually heated by a suitableheating device. Owing to the heat the water-drops immediately ambient tothe collecting-body will be evaporated, their capacity is graduallyreduced, while the potential of the charge grows until it reaches aninfinite height with infinite smallness of the drops. It is readilyapparent that the whole charge of the drops as soon as they have beenevaporated will have passed to the collector or collectingbody, fromwhich it can be conducted. For the purpose of replacing the evaporateddrops, which have been deprived of their charge by new-charged drops,the collector is moved in relation to the ambient air.

One way of carrying out the invention is represented in diagram in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section ofthe collecting-balloon. Fig. 2 shows the deviating and conversiondevice, and Fig. 3 a detail. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective viewof a form of automatic regulator for the rheostatic machine.

The apparatus consists of a balloon having two walls and covered with alight wire net, preferably of aluminium wire, said not being studdedwith needles. Besides, the balloon carries the net 3, on which the ring4, made of a solid but light material,(wood,cane,&c.,) is fixed. Thisring carries the basket 6 by means of the cords or ropes 5. On a levelwith the ring 4 is the ring 7, which is kept spread by the blades orwings 9, which are journaled in a manner to rotate easily. .The ring 7is kept fixedly in position by the cords or ropes 8. The blades or wingsconsist of a frame covered with light material, and their rotation ineither direction is limited by the stops or ledges 10. The blades orwings form advantageously an angle of sixty to seventy degrees with thevertical line.

All wire nets, ropes, rings, and blades or wings may be covered withsmall metal needles which are electrically connected with each other.

From the space 11, formed between the double walls of the balloon, thepipe 26 leads from the lowest point of the same to theserpentineconnected with the pipe 13, ending in the upper part of thespace 11 between the two walls 1 2. The serpentine is heated by means ofa suitable source of heat, whereby a warm current of gas or aircirculates continually between the double walls of the balloon.

Under the basket the ball-bearing 14 is arranged in electricalconnection with the wire nets, and its stud is electrically connectedwiththe carefully insulated light though sufficiently strong cable 15.

On the earths surface is a winch 16, Fig. 2, by means of which theballoon can be made to ascend or descend as soon as the interior spaceof the balloon is filled with illuminating gas or hydrogen.

The end of the cable-core is soldered to a collector arranged upon andinsulated from the axle of the winch, and the electricity is conductedfrom this collector by means of a sliding contact. The collecting of theelectricity takes place by moving the balloon continuously up and downby meansot' the winch. In this movement the balloon is turned by meansof the wings or blades 9, which are adapted to turn the balloon alwaysin the same direction whether ascending or descending, as in the changefrom ascending into descending of the balloon, or vice versa, the bladesare turned over by the aerial resistance, and thus impart the rotatingmotion to the balloon in the same direction. In order to avoid torsionof the cable, the ball-bearing 14 is provided. This up-and-down motionand rotating of the balloon accomplishes the purpose of bringing it intocontact with as many water particles floating in the air as possible.

As the electricity conducted from the collector-wing 17 possesses a muchtoo'high and varying potential for making its direct applicationpracticable, and as it is usual with an irregular source of electricityto first charge accumulators and to further utilize the easilyregulatedcurrent of the same only, it becomes necessary to seek to maintain theelectricity conducted from the collector 17 for the charging ofthe'accumulators at a constant potential and convert the potential to amuch lower one; but as we deal in this case with a direct currentordinary converters cannot be used for this purpose. Moreover, theelectricity possesses in this case a much too high potential, so thatwith the employment of or- I an electrometer of any construction, themovable part of which closes a con-tact which eventually actuates anelectromagnet which efiects the switching or reversion of the rheostaticmachine. After the switching of the rheostatic machine itvis discharged,the pocharged when the determined potential is.

reached. This action is continually repeated as long as the apparatus isin operation.

A form of the automatic regulator for the rheostatic machine isrepresented in Fig. 4. 27 is the contact-cylinder of the rheostaticmachine,on which,for clearness sake, only the contacts for the chargingposition of the condenser-plates are shown, while the contacts for thedischarging position, which come into action after the contact-cylinderhas been turned, are omitted. The coating of the condenser-plates isconnected in electrical circuit with the stationary ball 29 and themov-v able ball 32 of the. charge-meter 30, When the charge of therheostatic machine rises, the ball 32, arranged on the one extremity ofthe lever 31, is repelled andat a certain stroke actuated by means ofthe fork 33, which is fastened on the ball 32,, and by dipping into amercury-cup it closes the circuit of the source of current 34:. Thiscurrent passes through the windings of the anchor or armature 35, fixedon the shaft of the contact-cylinder, audit also passes through theelectromagnet 36. Thereby the contact-cylinder is turned bya certainangle and the rheostatic machineis thus reversed. Then if the tensiondecreases by discharge and the repulsion of the balls 29 32 declines sofar that the contact is interrupted at 33 the spring 37 turns thecontact-cylinder into its normal position and the rheostatic machine isagain switched to tension. The regulation of the electrometer iseffected by the adjustable weights 38 39. When larger quantities ofelectricity shall be derived or deviated, two rheostatic machines mayoperate alternately so,that While theone is being discharged the othercan be charged. It is readily apparent that'if the capacity of therheostatic machine is not changed the switching or reversion by theelectrometer will always take place at the same potential of therheostatic machine, and as the number of plates, and hence theproportion of conversion, remains the same the current impulsesderivedor deviated from the rheo-' static machine will alsohave the samepotential.

The irregularities of the source of electricity change the interval oftime in which thecharges follow each other; but as long as the potentialremains constant this has no inj urious eifect on the charge of theaccumulators. The current derived, or deviated from the rheostaticmachine can be further transformed by an ordinary converter 21 22, andwhenever it is sulficiently constant it can be utilized Without theintervention of the accumulators. The converters can be connected ordisconnected by means of the double switch 19 2O 23.

24 and 25 are the conducting-wires, which i run either directly to theplace of consumption or to an accumulator-battery.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An apparatus for collecting atmospheric electricity comprising acollecting body adapted to be kept in motion, heating means for saidbody, anda rheostatic machine and a converter connected with the saidbody electrically, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for collecting atmospheric electricity for storagecomprising a collecting-body adapted to be kept in motion in the ambientair, heating means for said body, a conductor leading from said body, arheo- 2 5 'static machine connected with the said conductor, anelectrometer connected with said rheostatic machine electrically, acontact controlled by the electrometer, and an electromagnet controlledby said contact, said electromagnet controlling the reversing of therheostatic machine, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the balloon-like collecting-body, having thecollecting-points, means for heating, the interior space of said body, aconductor leading from the balloon-like body, and electrical devices forreceiving the current therefrom, substantially as described.

4. In combination, the balloon-like collecting-body, means for turningthe same constantly in one direction in both ascending and descending,conducting means leading from the balloon and electrical devices forreceiving the current therefrom, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

ANDOR PALENosAR.

Witnesses EUGENE "HARRANJO, PAUL BOLESKEY.

